


Really Got a Hold on Me

by pandorahour



Category: Fallout 3
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Denial of Feelings, Depression, Drunk Sex, Explicit Language, F/M, Friendship, Hand Jobs, Jealousy, Kissing, Oral Sex, Rough Sex, Semi-Public Sex, Teasing, Teenagers, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-11-20 12:32:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11335698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandorahour/pseuds/pandorahour
Summary: The Tease and the Bully, the Siren and the Tunnel Snake, the doctor's daughter and the alcoholic's son.They always looked, but the other never noticed.They always fought, but the other never realised.Until one day the words couldn't be held back anymore and everything changes.





	1. Fifteen

Viola was fifteen the first time she had admitted to herself that at some point she had developed feelings for one Butch Deloria. Butch, the bully, the greaser, the rebel...the _Tunnel Snake_.

She was fifteen the first time she realised she would look at him every time he entered the room because she liked to look, she liked the way _he_ looked, and she wanted him to look back. She wanted to be noticed. She wanted to be noticed by _him_ and only _him_.

She was fifteen when she realised the affect she had on the other teenagers in the vault:

 

_Freddie Gomez,_

 

_Jim Wilkins,_

 

_Chip Holden,_

 

Even Wally Mack up until a point - but never Butch.

 

He would look, she knew he would look, but her teasing never got anywhere. Not like with the others. She was sure he knew that she did it for kicks, she liked knowing just what she could stir up in them by just applying chap-stick or stretching a certain way, but he would still watch with his head turned slightly to the side – that had to count for something.

He liked her hair though, that he couldn't hide, no matter how many times he tried to pretend he wasn't looking when she would pull it out of her clip and let her chestnut locks fall down her back. She would turn her head to him and smile when she caught his eyes and his face sour and turn back to what he was doing.

 

She was fifteen when she found him in a heap in the corridor to the clinic, blood pouring from his nose and a gash across his lip that seemed to have already dried.

“Three guesses who did that to you. My Dad not in the clinic?” it was the third time this week he'd gotten into a fight with Wally, she didn't bother to ask why, Wally may have been the brains in the Snakes, but he had a 2mm fuse that would burn out at the slightest thing.

“Your Da ain't ever in the clinic at this time,” he looked up at her and then looked down and away when she crouched next to him, “figured you'd be by at some point.”

“You know you don't have to get beaten up just to see me, Butch,” he lifted his head up again to stop the blood coating more of his hands “you want to spend time with me all you got to do is ask”

“Don't get wise, Nosebleed,” he pulled himself to his feet and steadied himself against the wall with his left hand, his none bloody one, “you gonna let me in the clinic or what?”

She straightened up and held his chin, “move your hand so I can look.”

He did as he was told and she moved his head to get an idea of the damage. She was a lot shorter than he was, so she couldn't make a proper assessment, it wasn't broken she knew that much.

“You just waiting for me to bleed out, Vi?”

“I'll open up the clinic, come on,”

 

* * *

 

It was strange to her how he just sat there quietly and let her clean him up, letting out the occasional hiss as she bathed his nose and then applied an antiseptic swab to the cut on his lip and knuckles. Viola placed the swab on the metal tray to the side of where they were sat and examined his face to see if she had missed anything.

She was aware she was being too gentle. She was aware her touch had turned into more of a caress as she ran her fingers over the bruises formed around his right eye and cheek bones.

He was aware too.

“Careful there, Doc, I might start thinkin' you're fallin' for me,” Butch was smirking, he was waiting for a reaction – as always.

Viola pulled her hands away and he notices how she almost reaches for his bloodied hands a split second before deciding against it and standing up to clean up the clinic.

He got up and walked over to her and leaned his hip on the side of the counter, watching as she slid the antiseptic bottle back into place.

“No bite, Nosebleed? Come on, just admit it. Everyone wants a piece of the Butch-man.”

She turned around and leaned back against the counter. Running her eyes up his body before focusing on those baby blues, she leaned towards him, “if you think I only want a piece, then you have no idea how hard I hit the ground.”

The smirk slowly faded and he stood still, not moving, just staring before letting out a stoic, “what?”

“What? Don't you like _me,_ Butch?”

Butch's face soured and moved himself in front of her, arms either side, pinning her in place, “don't play one of your games with me, Vi. I ain't one of your little boys to tease 'cause your bored.”

Viola pushed against his chest, making him stand away from her. She wasn't mad, it was Butch, she knew it would probably end up this way.

“I'm warnin' you, Nosebleed. I ain't no idiot to be fallin' for your games.”

“Is that what you think? You think I'm confessing for fun?” she was getting worked up no matter how she tried not to. Butch just stood there, seemingly ready for one of their many fights, “you're so fucking stupid and you're so blind! Calling me a liar. Go slither somewhere else, Snake!”

“You ain't got no clue, Nosebleed,” he was turning to leave, “screw this noise and screw you – I'm outta here.”

He'd left without a fight. He'd been ready for one and in such an un-Butchlike fashion taken the higher ground and left.

Viola couldn't say she wasn't disappointed. Fighting was the only prolonged attention he ever gave her, she loved their fights, but she'd seemingly hit a nerve and he lost interest. He'd never walked away from a fight before, least of all one of their shouting matches.

She watched his handsome figure retreat down the corridor and her heart went with him.

 

She was fifteen the first time she let Chip kiss her whilst waiting for Amata before class. She didn't kiss back, but Chip was too embarrassed to notice and had left quickly and red-faced half-running back down the corridor.

Butch was red-faced too, watching from across the hall. She heard the whispers, but her eyes were on his.

He must have been an idiot, because he fell for it and he fell hard.

 


	2. Friends Like These

 

Swimming was the stupidest thing he ever had to learn in the Vault. Pointless, useless and the smell made him want to throw up every time.

Obligatory was the worst word in the English language.

Butch stood in the same place he did every lesson, as far away from the pool as possible with the rest of his Snakes.

The Siren was taking control of the water as usual, the blue eyed sea bitch showing everyone else up like she loved to do. That pretty chocolate-brown hair of hers floating around her like one of them – well – _sirens_.

He was aware that he was thinking too much about her lately. She'd gotten under his skin after their confrontation in the clinic.

 

She got under his skin after every confrontation.

 

He couldn't help looking, he didn't know when he had even started looking and besides, every one else looked at her so why couldn't he? Viola was nice to look at, easy on the eyes and that smug aura of confidence she never let go separated her from every other female in the Vault. She was different. Not arrogant and stuck-up like Susie or whiny and annoying like Amata. She was more – grown up, he supposed – except when she was playing games.

 

He saw her submerge under the water and then surface, flipping back that long hair of hers as she came up and focus her eyes over where he was standing.

 

Looking at him and the Snakes. Nah, Wally and Paul were too busy snickering to themselves about whatever Wally had just cracked a joke about.

He didn't care, he wasn't listening. She was looking at him and she was fucking smirking, because she knew he'd been looking at her the whole time and it drove him up the god damn wall because that smirk put a pace to his pulse.

She was “Nosebleed”, she was the girl he grew up trading punches with because she liked to run her mouth about his ma. She was the dumb broad who liked to play games with the guys in the Vault just because she was bored. Games that he didn't know now if that included him and confused the fuck out of him and got him to this fucking point in time where he wasn't looking at “Nosebleed” - he was looking at “Viola”.

He knew what it felt like to be wanted, Susie made it abundantly clear what she wanted without ever saying a word, but she was Wally's sister and she wasn't his type. Viola's interest made him feel different, when she confessed everything just turned – awkward. He spent too much time thinking, about her, and those words in the clinic, about how confused he was and about why he even felt awkward in the first place. His teasing started to fall flat. His smart mouth turned to fumbling over the words he'd planned in his head in order to not sound so stupid and so Wally stepped up in his place and he didn't like that at all.

Wally was the “smart” one, he was also the one with the short fuse and superiority complex, that he may or may not have contributed to making him a Snake. Wally was smart and so he knew right from the start something was up when he stopped messing with Viola in class. She sat right in front of him. A prime target. Paper balls, pencils, words – whatever he had on hand just to mess with her. The first time he didn't bother Wally had questioned him after class ended and seemed to accept that he “just wasn't feeling it” that day.

The second time Wally took control and launched a screw from across the room and hit her so hard in the side of the head it started to bleed. Amata was out of her seat and rushing her out of the room before he could even ask her if she was okay and Wally just sat there laughing as Mr Brotch's threat of a visit to the Overseer fell on deaf ears.

He'd grabbed him after class, grabbed him by the jacket and asked him “what the fuck he thought he was doing”, Wally just pushed him off and told him to just “fuck her and get it over with”. Paul had told him to go check on her in the clinic before following Wally down the corridor. He never went, he just followed his feet back to his apartment to find his mother passed out on the couch as usual, the room stinking of vodka.

 

Class was over now and she was back with the rest of the girls as the coach was dismissing them. His fellow Snakes were whistling and cat calling at the girls in their token blue costumes.

She didn't even spare a glance at him before she left and entered the women's changing rooms.

 

“Dude, I am so fuckin' hungry,”

“How can you be hungry, we ain't got a work out the whole class,”

“My imagination gets a work out every fuckin' class,”

 

Butch turned away from the pool and stood away from the wall he'd been leaning on, “you wanna go grab a bite to eat at the diner?”

“Dumb fuckin' question. You finally back on planet Earth, Blue Balls?” Wally casually turned his head to him with an annoyed look on his face.

Paul must have sensed the animosity growing as he stepped in, “let's go get changed and grab a seat before the girls are finished. We'll never get a seat in the diner if they beat us to it”.

 

* * *

 

He was sick of the smell of chlorine.

Wally had disappeared five minutes ago after Susie came running in complaining about something or other that he couldn't care less about and had told them to wait until he came back.

He gave him another two minutes before he'd had enough.

The Butch-man waits for no one.

Him and Paul had left the changing room and had barely gotten out of the gym corridor before hearing the cacophony of noise coming from down the hall.

It was a fight.

He'd heard it a thousand times as background noise when he and Viola had one of their weekly “wrestling matches” as she called them.

He could hear Wally shouting and Susie as well and crying – Amata crying?

“Ah, shit. I got a bad feeling about who this is going to be, Butch,” he and Paul quickened their pace. _What the fuck did she do now?_

He smelt the blood before he saw where it was coming from and he didn't like that at all. He saw the faces in the crowd, the faces that were doing absolutely fuck all to help except Freddie holding a despairing Amata back. The freak had a bloody nose, so at least he tried.

Paul was pulling Wally off the figure on the ground - fighting to pull him off. Susie was shouting at him telling him to “let go, do you have any idea what she said about my family!”

Butch was pushing past Freddie and Amata to get to Viola on the ground.

“Go home you fucking vultures!” one word from him and the teenagers were dispersing.

_Where the fuck is security whenever this shit happens?_

He told Freddie to get Amata home and heard her say, well, something that he wasn't actually paying attention to. Viola looked dead from this angle and there was blood everywhere. He was a little to preoccupied to pay attention to the princess.

The Mack's were still arguing with Paul when he heard her moan as he turned her from her side to lay flat on her back. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the mess Wally had made of her face.

Her nose was obviously broken and her right eye was black and closed. Not quite popped, but still heavily swollen. She had a fat lip, blood in her hair and bruising to the rest of her face. The way she was holding herself, he had no doubt there were a few cracked ribs too.

Paul is shouting behind him and he realises that Wally's abuse has turned to him. He hears, “lovesick”, “blue-balled”, and “fucking whipped pussy”, and Butch turns away from Viola.

He's sick of it.

His fist is flying towards the older Mack's face before it even registers with him. Wally is on the ground clutching his nose as Butch is screaming at him to, “calm the fuck down you, fucking psychopath!”

Paul tells him to leave it and get Viola to the clinic and so he's picking her up, there's blood and tears on her suit and she's moaning in pain and telling him to put her down as he carries her in the direction of the clinic where he hopes to whoever is listening that her Dad is there and not AWOL again.

He's more angry than concerned. He wants to tell her that this is what happens when you can't stop running your mouth, especially to a Mack who won't fight their own battles when their brothers can do more damage. This is what happens when you run your mouth at a family that has something against your own.

“Why are you helping me?” she really was a stupid smart person sometimes.

“You expect me to leave you almost dead on the floor? I ain't that bad, Vi.”

He can feel her hands on his jacket, stroking it? He's scared the blood will ruin the leather, but he decides against saying anything.

“Where did you find these in this stupid Vault?”

The lower levels where he sees her sneaking off to all the time, one door away from where she disappears to twice a week. But he sure as shit ain't telling her that.

“Why? You want one?” he looks down at her and feels the need to clear his throat when he sees her looking right up at him.

“No, I was just wondering,” he looks back up, nearly at the clinic, “it suits you more than it would suit me. Put me down here, I can walk.”

“Do you have any idea what kinda state your in, Pipsqueak?”

“Do you have any idea the conclusions my Dad is going to jump to if he sees you carrying me in this state?” she slams a bloody fist sideways into his chest, a command to put her down and so he does.

She stumbles like she's adjusting to her legs for the first time and grabs his jacket to steady herself, “you ain't going to make it yourself in that state.”

Viola looks up at him, smiling. _How the fuck can she smile after what she's just been through?_

“Thank you,” she wobbles again and his hands come up to her arms to steady her. She shuts her eyes, tight - like she's in pain – cause well of course she fucking is in that state.

“Hey, Vi?” he moves his hands to her face, what if she passes out? Just how much damage did Wally do?

He feels her hands grip his jacket tighter and before he can react he feels her lips on his.

He can hear his heart pounding in his ears as he registers what exactly is going on. He can taste blood, but the sensation still feels – nice.

It lasts less than a minute. He didn't kiss back, he was frozen stiff the entire time.

She was smiling at the dumb look on his face as his eyes searched hers for an answer that he didn't know.

 

The answer to why even though she was bloodied and battered she still made the first move he had been thinking about everyday for the weeks following her confession.

 

The answer to what the hell had took them so long to get to this point in the first place.

 

The answer to why the fuck she wasn't kissing him again.

 


	3. Lonely Hearts

It had been at least a week since he last saw her, the Doc' was keeping her under house arrest until he deemed her well enough to return to class and well the rest of the Vault too.

Wally was under house arrest too after his three day stint in solitary. Not that he cared.

He had no respect for Wally whatsoever any more.

Freddie told him everything.

He'd hit her from behind whilst she had been stood talking to Amata. Slammed her head straight into a wall and beat the crap out of her whilst she was dazed and probably concussed to hell.

It made sense, considering Wally had no injuries whatsoever. He knew first hand that Viola could hold her own in a fight.

_What a fucking coward._

 

He'd stood there like an idiot after she'd kissed him. She'd waited for him to say something – do something – and he just stood there, beet red and doing absolutely _fucking nothin'._

Spinning on her heel he had watched her stumble the few feet to the clinic and quickly left when he had heard the Doc's voice.

He wasn't in the habit of getting in trouble for something he didn't do.

 

Butch's mind kept going back to that moment – he still didn't understand it.

They hated each other – didn't they?

She said she had feelings for him though and she _kissed_ him.

Viola played with her toys, but she never did more than that.

Did that mean he was different? If that was the case then what changed? When did it change? Did he like her? He liked looking at her, but did he actually have feelings for Viola Harper? Confusion was the only thing he felt like he would be feeling for quite some time.

 

“Just go see her, man.”

Butch was brought out of his reverie by Paul sitting down at the booth, across from him and passing him his burger and fries. His stomach growled in response.

“I ain't the type,” _what a dumb fuckin' answer._

“That's a dumb fuckin' answer, Butch,” Paul took a bite out of his own burger, catching some cheese on the plate as it oozed out, “I ain't blind, Butch. She's got you thinkin' somethin' and now you can't stop thinkin'.”

Butch played with his fries before shoving them in his mouth two at a time.

“Don't get quiet on me, Butch. We're all guilty of havin' thoughts about the Siren at some point or another,” he turned his head to watch Andy prepare some more fries, “well, I suppose a lot of us backed off them thoughts after what happened to Jim.”

“Palpitation.”

“What?”

“The Doc' said it was a heart palpitation,” he opened his burger to pour a huge dollop of ketchup on the “beef” pattie, “I'm pretty sure she ain't got magic powers that make him freak out or nothin'.”

Paul pushed his plate to the side as he finished his last bite, “how do you know what the 'Doc said?”

“I, well,” he threw the leftover bit of bun on the plate and sighed, “my Ma, she kind of slipped and cracked her head, too much booze – you know. So I took her to the clinic and heard the 'Doc talkin' to Wilkins' Dad.”

Paul nodded, “so what are you gonna do? Do you like – wanna date her or somethin'”

“Date Nosebleed?” Butch slumped down in his seat, “I really don't know, man. Couple a weeks ago we were fighting in the corridors on a weekly basis, sure I had thoughts of doin' stuff in the positions we were in, but I don't know if back then I ever thought of, you know, _dating._ ”

He knew he wanted to see her now though, it was written all over his face.

Paul knew too.

“Dude, I think when an offer like Viola comes along you need to at least try it,” Paul leaned an arm on the table as Andy came and picked up the empty plates, “we got a limited choice in the girls, 'for the good of the Vault' and that bullshit, Vi's top tier and giving you her feelings on a plate.”

He could think of a lot of worse choices he supposed. The only other girl who had openly confessed was Susie, and even if she wasn't Wally's sister, she was so far beyond his type – whatever his type was anyway.

“There's probably at least five people in this Vault that have her in their top 5, you really wanna see her walking down the hall with someone like Freddie?”

Viola and the Freak, they didn't go together at all, there was no reality where they would remotely work. Him and Vi though, he could imagine that if he tried hard enough.

Did he want it hard enough though.

He wanted to make sure she was okay after all this time, so – maybe?

He wanted to kiss her again outside the clinic, so – probably?

They were similar to each other, not in up-bringing, but personality. It's why they clashed so much. He could see it blending well together if they didn't feel like killing each other everyday.

“Dude, just go see her. Tell Brotch you'll take her homework after class and just fuckin' go, it's tiring me out watching you think so much.”

 

* * *

 

She was sick of being in bed now. A week in bed with absolutely nothing to do, but sleep and homework.

There was a special place in Hell for people like Brotch, she had decided. Barely able to move or even breathe out of her nose and still told she had to write a five page essay on the “Liberation of Anchorage”. _When will I ever need to know this stuff?_

It was hard to have the urge to do anything any more. Boredom had turned into apathy and all she wanted to do was crawl into the poster she had on her wall, a greaser in a tight white shirt smoking a cigarette, and share a smoke or two – maybe a kiss or three.

Staring at that poster so long had her pining.

Butch looked so much like her poster boy.

She wanted to see him so much it hurt. He hadn't bothered to visit even once.

Why would he though? She kept ruining everything. She kept scaring him off.

Butch saved her though, he carried her all the way to the clinic, covered in her blood and he had punched Wally. He defended _her_. Then again she was _his_ wrestling partner, maybe he just didn't like Wally on his territory.

His territory. Butch's territory. She, Viola Harper, was Butch's property.

It was hilarious and stupid to think something like that, but it didn't stop her heart from pounding or her face from heating up.

Stuck in this box within a box was driving her insane. Her ribs were still bruised, so she wasn't even allowed to think of retreating to the freedom of the pool – no matter how many times she told him it didn't hurt to breathe any more.

She pushed aside the sheets and headed for the bathroom, her legs were stiff from lack of use and the familiar light-headedness and nausea began to occur as she turned the dial and quickly sat herself on the floor to calm herself down.

She wondered if her Dad had left her anything to eat on the counter or if once again she'd have to manage by herself.

For all his dos and don'ts he didn't seem to care enough to actually come home and check on her once in a while. Whatever this special project he was working on better have been worth it.

Viola pulled herself up to the sink and looked into the mirror before washing her face with cold water. The swelling had gone down pretty quickly a few days after, and the bruises to her eyes and face were slowly fading too. The adhesive strip on her nose was still there, but that would probably be okay to come off in a couple of days – out of every thing that seemed to be the one thing that refused to heal as fast as the rest.

There was no permanent damage – maybe mentally. Out of everyone in that crowd why did only Freddie and Butch actually try to stop it. Did everyone in the Vault hate her that much? Or where they just so terrified of Wally?

Maybe both.

Sighing she turned and slowly walked towards the door – she was definitely going to pass out if she didn't eat soon.

There was nothing worse than an empty house with no food in it, yet here she was once again stuck with absolutely nothing to eat but dust.

“Thanks a bunch, Dad,” Viola threw herself onto the couch, “guess it's no food until when you decide to come home – again!”

The diner wasn't that far, she could probably make it – crawl if she had to. A big tray of fries and a huge burger with extra cheese, no pickles though that's just gross, and a huge vanilla shake.

If she was hungry before, she was starving now.

And the door was knocking, or rather someone was knocking at the door.

She hoped it was edible or someone with something edible.

“Hang on!” she shouted, slowly pulling herself to her feet and taking a steady pace towards the door. Leaning against the wall she unlocked the door.

She must have passed out, because never in a million years would this ever be happening.

Another round of homework in the hands of one – Butch Deloria.

This had to be the start of some dirty dream, right?

He looked nervous and all he could seem to say was “er” and clear his throat, homework in one hand and the other in his jacket pocket.

What was she supposed to say? “Do you want to come in?”, “thanks for the homework?”

“You're not edible.” _Nice, real nice._

“What?” his head snapped back to look at her. At least she had his attention.

“I mean I was thinking of food before you knocked.” _Keep going idiot._ “Why are you bringing my homework?”

Butch looked down at the ground before scratching the back of his, “I, er, was on my way home so I, er, thought I'd drop it off, you know, get some credit off Brotch and all that.”

“I don't think you can get extra credit for dropping off homework,” she leant against the wall, the nausea coming back from being standing too long, “thanks anyway, but you don't live anywhere near here.”

“I, er, wanted to check up on you too, I suppose,” he could see that she was biting her lip and she seemed to be taking deep breaths, “Wally did a number on you, just wanted to make sure you were okay? Which you don't seem to be, do you want me to leave or somethin'? 'Cause you don't look great.”

She wanted him to stay, “no I just need to sit down. You can come in, I might need some help though.”

Viola turned and made for the couch as Butch awkwardly followed behind. Only when he heard the door shut behind him did he realise that it was in fact just the two of them alone in the apartment.

He needed to get rid of every dirty thought that had suddenly entered his mind.

“You don't have any food on you, do you?” she watched Butch toss her homework onto the coffee table and then reach into his pocket and throw her a box of Gumdrops.

“I wanna talk,” he felt awkward, like he always did lately, “I've been thinkin' and I don't really understand what's been going on with us lately.”

She couldn't say that she hadn't been expecting this. She had emptied what was left in the box into her hand and popped a blue one into her mouth before turning her head to look up at him, “what don't you understand?”

He ran a hand through his hair and sat down on the couch, the small gap between them felt like a mile long when he saw the look on her face. She was trying hard not to look like someone about to be rejected – and failing miserably.

“I don't understand why you kissed me,” his throat was dry, but he didn't know if he'd have the balls for another chance to ask, “I don't understand why you keep, I dunno, doin' stuff to me. I don't know why I don't hate it. I thought you hated me?”

“I like to confuse you apparently,” she was biting her lip again, “I don't know either, I just started looking at you differently after I saw you with your Mom in the clinic. The way you were then and now – you've never left me speechless before. I've never seen that side of you before, you looked so – I don't know – alone? She was so ungrateful, I thought you were going to cry when you left.”

He rested his right foot on the side of the coffee table“So you like me, because you feel sorry for me?”

“No, I just noticed more about you after that day. I kinda had to, it was weird to see you like that, it had me curious. Then I started to feel – different,” she rested her head back against the sofa, “I started looking at you because I liked looking. When we had our wrestling matches, I liked it when you put your hands on me,” he turned his head sharply like he was about to object, “I mean not hitting me, I'm not that weird, I mean just your touch and how close you were. I liked it. Maybe that's why we started having them more often, it was the only way to get your attention. I think maybe I liked you before that time at the clinic and never realised it – maybe?”

Butch pulled out his switch-blade – 'his toothpick' – and began tapping it against his knee. He didn't know what to say. He could hear his heart pounding in his chest – that was a proper confession.

He flipped his switch-blade onto the table, “I don't know if I could make you happy. We got a history, you know.”

Viola placed the empty box of Gumdrops onto the table, “you don't like me back. You don't have to make excuses.”

“That ain't it,” he turned to face her, “I ain't stupid, Vi. Everyone knows you're a good catch. You ain't as innocent as everyone in this Vault thinks, but I'm the one who people avoid, you know.”

“Do you really think I give a fuck about what anyone thinks? You're my choice, not theirs.”

Her choice.

Butch stood up and turned towards her. He pulled out his pack of Big Boss' from his pocket and saw Viola follow the movement with her eyes as he put a cigarette to his mouth and lit it.

“If you're been honest and not playin' me,” he was trying to be more cool than he felt, “I'm open to tryin'”

He watched her face light up and suppressed a smile himself, “I knew you couldn't resist me, Butch-Man.”

“Don't get smart, Nosebleed.”

 


	4. Mandatory Happiness

It was strange to have the thing you may have always wanted and still felt like there was a huge part missing.

Every minute they spent together had Viola taking in every part of him.

She loved his smell – a mix of pomade, cigarettes and that wonderful leather smell of his jacket. She loved the curls in his hair after swimming and how soft it was when not thick with his daily routine making it greasy. Most of all she loved the blush on his face every time she smiled at him - it was adorable – how it would grow when she would caress his face before a simple kiss. His skin was a little dry, but still quite soft.

 

It was still new between them, she was more forward and he was a little more shy.

He was inexperienced, despite the boasting, but truth be told she was too - but did extremely well at winging it.

Butch was still uncertain about making their relationship public. He was scared of everyone's reactions, it was obvious. He was scared of what Wally would do when he found out, no matter how many times she told him that she, “won't let him pull a cheap trick twice”.

She let him have it though. He was a little bit different now – a little bit happier. She didn't want to take that away from him – or her.

Stolen moments in the corridors with a knowing look or brush of hands. Intentionally dousing the Tunnel Snakes in water as she swam by in the pool. Staying longer after practice so that the corridors would be theirs for a few seconds of privacy before going back to their separate hierarchy of the Vault.

It wasn't enough – for both of them. They were lonely in a Vault full of people and secrecy ruined their time together.

Viola had been thinking, thinking about sharing a secret. Butch knew of her hideout, but he didn't know what it actually was for. She'd told him it was her escape, as vague as she could put it before she felt she could trust him enough to keep his big mouth shut. Butch needed an escape as much as she did though. Wally and Susie were back by his side like nothing had happened - one more welcome than the other, but equally not really wanted.

The worst was his mother.

Ellen. She was draining the life out of him every second he was living there. Needy, abusive and a waste of all the chems her Dad had prescribed to help her separate from the vodka – to no avail. She wasn't a bad person, she had just given up.

He deserved so much more than the hand he was dealt.

 

There in English class she was restless. Her bandages were uncomfortable in her vault suit, it would have been worse not protecting the bruises on her ribs from rubbing, but at least she wouldn't be so itchy.

Butch was behind her playing with his switch-blade. She could feel every time his eyes landed on her and she would glance behind and see the corners of his mouth raise up – just a little.

Carefully ripping a page from her notebook she quickly scribbled onto it and then passed it behind with her left hand, to avoid being seen by the rest of the class.

The light creak of his seat and warmth of his fingers as he purposely caressed her fingers before grabbing the note sent her heart racing.

 

_I have a secret. Meet me after class near the diner._

 

The images went overtime in her head. Things she really shouldn't be thinking about in class. _It's just for practice - target practice_.

It didn't help anything but the butterflies. A place for them to be alone together. It was going to be so perfect.

A paper ball hitting the back of her head brought her back to reality. Class was over and she hadn't bothered to take a single note.

“Class is over Nosebleed,” Viola turned her head to look at him as he got out of his chair and he raised an eyebrow at her red face.

She watched him turn away as Paul and Wally walked over and heard him make his excuses about going with the girls to the arboretum – whatever they were going there for was beyond her – and that he was going to grab a snack before going home to 'clean his jacket'.

Wally and Paul started laughing.

She didn't have to be a genius to know that Butch must have used that euphemism a few times before.

Picking up the paper ball and depositing it in the bin she watched Amata gather her books and flash her a smile before rushing out.

_Where's she going in a hurry?_

Picking up her own books she headed in the direction of the diner.

 

Butch had already started biting into his sandwich when he saw her heading his way down the hall. The diner was busy, so they had to be careful.

He leant against the wall opposite the entrance, catching her eye as she walked past him. She turned her head to flash him a smile, beckoning him to follow.

He counted to ten in head then set off down the corridor she had turned into.

He had a feeling where she was taking him and it scared him a little.

Things had changed so much in so little time and he still didn't quite know how to process it.

He liked her – a lot. Spending more time together had made him realise that, made him realise why everyone thought she was such a good catch. Viola Harper was so much more than a pretty face and a nice body, but he couldn't think of any words to describe just how much he liked about her.

She was the smartest person he'd ever known, but he supposed that came from being a doctors daughter, but she would pick and choose what she wanted to be – well – smart about. She was barely passing math, because she refused to take in more than the basics. She didn't see the point in learning something she didn't enjoy.

Butch couldn't argue against that, it's how he'd been living his life since practically birth.

He'd learned why Viola loved to be in the water so much and no she wasn't an actual siren.

It was her escape.

Her escape from being stuck in a box in the ground for what may be the rest of her life, she could at least pretend that she was somewhere else in that water. He'd watched her so many times, and never realised just how – free she looked in those moments.

He loved it. He loved everything about it.

He loved her movement when she was on the baseball diamond.

She was an elegant player – the star MVP of the Vault.

Outside of the gym the people who wanted her on their team wouldn't look twice at her in the halls. Both a perfect pitcher and batter and watching those creamy legs of hers running from base to base always softened the blow of being on the losing team.

Maybe her secret was in the hideout?

Butch straightened the collar of his jacket as he saw her standing by the door to the lower levels. She flashed him a smile she saw him round the corner.

He felt the blood rush to his face.

She grabbed his hand and opened the door.

He'd been down here a thousand times with the Snakes. There was a storeroom full of what he assumed was pre-war stuff – maybe what the original Vault Dwellers brought with them before everything became basic blue. It's where he had caught her so many times sneaking out of the door she was leading him to.

Butch wasn't stupid enough to believe she was 'researching radroaches', she found them too gross, because they were fuckin' gross and twitchy with their little antennae things.

“Butch,” he turned his head at her voice, frowning at the thought of radroaches now stuck in his head, “if I show you, you have to keep your big mouth shut. What's wrong with your face?”

“There ain't really goin' to be any roaches in there, right?” he cleared his throat, nervous at the thought. The air was dry down here so hopefully she wouldn't realise his anxiety.

Viola let go of his hand and turned to fiddle with the lock on the door, “don't worry, I'm sure any will run at the sight of a Snake slithering into their territory.”

He backed away from the door as it sprung open, “I ain't goin' into no roach territory.”

“If you come in, I'll make it worth your while,” she gave him an innocent look, but his mind filled with thoughts that were anything but. He had to admit it was something other than her words leading him into the room.

She walked off to the side, seemingly looking for something as she pulled a crate away from the stack it leant against just a little. Pulling out a green duffle bag she opened it, checking something was in there, he guessed. Seemingly satisfied, she held it out to him, biting her lip and looking a bit uneasy.

“Um – well,” Viola watched him take it from her and brushed a lock of wavy hair behind her ear, “it's your birthday tomorrow, so I thought I'd give you an early present.”

His birthday. He'd almost forgotten, they weren't really too different from any other day for him to care. The day with the Snakes and the night stuck in his room listening to his Mom's drunken snoring. He never received proper presents any more.

Butch put the bag on the floor and pulled open the zip. There was a bunch of metal inside, he reached in to pull one out and flipping it over, realised that it was a target. _A target for what?_

There were three in all, and Vi was holding out her hand to collect them as they came out one after another.

At the bottom of the bag was the real prize.

“How the fuck did you get your hands on one of these?” he couldn't believe it, of all the things in the Vault for her to have he would never have thought it would be a genuine BB gun. She was across the room setting up the targets.

“Be careful with that, it's to share you know,” he didn't care, he just wanted to test this baby out. It was weathered, probably handed down about a thousand times over the years, but Viola had obviously been taking good care of it to keep it in usable condition.

“This has to be the best birthday present ever!” he flashed her a winning smile that made her heart melt, he was like a little kid with a new toy – but she supposed Butch had never really received a gift like this in his life.

“I wanted us to have a place with some privacy, and to have somewhere to go and something to do when we got lonely,” she aligned the last target and walked back over to him, “you can't keep sneaking off to the pool with me forever – especially when you're not going to swim.”

“I like watching you though,” his voice was soft, and those eyes where doing things to her, making her heart ache painfully, he'd stopped examining the gun to focus on her.

“Well, now you can learn how to shoot instead of watching me splashing around all night,” Viola pushed one of the smaller crates against the others and used it to perched herself on the taller ones, “I want us to have more time together – with more privacy.”

Butch put down the BB gun and joined her, effortlessly pulling himself on top. She knew he was tall – a lot taller than her five three frame – she never knew he had that sort of upper body strength though.

He played with a fray in the leg of his Vault suit, “so this is our little secret now?”

“If you want it to be,” she bit her lip before turning her head towards him, “I want you to stop feeling shy around me.”

Butch leant back and sighed. He wasn't shy, the Butch-man was never shy. He was just – nervous. Nervous about this thing developing between them, this thing that made him his heart race and gave him something to get up for in the morning. This thing that had developed from, he didn't know what to call it – a mutual dislike? A dislike that, now he thought about it, may have just been him just playground tactics to get her attention. Same for her too probably.

“I wanna get closer to you girl,” he laid his hands down next to him, “I just don't wanna mess up. I wanna do this properly, but my head ain't there.”

“What does that mean?” he'd scared her, his stupid mouth using the wrong fuckin' words.

“I mean, we should go slow – but I don't wanna,” her mouth was pouted, she always did that when she was thinking hard about something, “I wanna do this my way – but that ain't good. You try to get me goin', but I gotta stop myself before I lose my cool, you know?”

“So you're not shy, you're just -” she'd slid closer to him, “protecting me from you?”

_Even though you're as virginal as me 'Butch-man'?_

Her hands were over his left one and she was just so close. His eyes kept flickering to her mouth as she spoke and she realised she absolutely had zero clue what she was doing.

She wanted to do it.

And he did too.

Butch crashed his mouth to hers _,_ and they both realised just how desperate they were for – something. All the built up tension was coming out and had lead up to this moment. She didn't care about how inexperienced they both were, she was sure they'd have plenty of time to practice.

His lips were dry against hers, as their mouths moved in tandem. Feeling his tongue run against her bottom lip she opened to give him entrance.

Her hands gripped his jacket as his own slipped to her waist and into her hair. The kiss was deep – and sloppy – and neither of them cared about anything other than the moment their whole lives had culminated to.

Viola moved her hands from his jacket to his chest as they came up for air. Both breathing heavily and confused as what to do next.

Butch ran his thumb across her cheek in a caress, and then pulled away – embarrassed?

“I'm sorry.”

She didn't understand until she saw it. He was pulling his jacket down over something, or trying to. _Oh_. He was failing miserably to hide it, however she couldn't help feeling a little proud at the fact that she had gotten him so excited.

He felt like he had ruined it. She was just staring – not saying anything.

“I just need to calm down,” he tried to get up, but she was stopping him.

“I want to see it.”

“What?”

_What the hell am I saying!?_

It had slipped out of her mouth before she had even registered what she was saying.

It wasn't a lie though.

The stack of romance novels – meaning adult novels – Viola had borrowed from the library had her preparing for moments like this.

It couldn't be that different, just put words into practice – he obviously needed a helping hand. Butch did say that he was holding a lot back, he must be really stressed after all these weeks.

She was thinking like a slut, like a _siren_ , but she didn't care. All these emotions were coming out of nowhere and Butch really did look like he was in a lot of pain.

“Vi, you really don't have to,” he watched her pull the zip on his jacket down, “I wanna be a nice guy, but I don't think I can if you -”

“Stop talking,” _yes ma'am_ , he didn't object when she lowered the zip to his Vault suit as far as it would go and felt her hand feel how hard he was through the material.

He sharply inhaled as her hand ran the length and then slipped into his suit to free it from his underwear. She stopped, her hand still around it.

Butch's was the first one she had seen – in the flesh so to speak. She had nothing to compare to, but it didn't seem to be what anyone would call 'small'.

He was looking at her, and suddenly she realised that maybe everything she had read was fiction for a reason. What if it didn't work, what if it did and his stuff went everywhere.

What if she was terrible and he'd never want her to touch her again.

She adjusted her hand to get a better grip and slowly ran her hand up the shaft, she heard an intake of breath as he leaned back. It was weird, she had to admit, pulling back the foreskin to see everything as it should be – a man's penis wasn't as pretty as words made it out to be.

Grabbing the tip in hand, she gently began to move her hand against it. Butch's moans made her flush, but it must have been her nerves that left her shaking.

She set a pace as she ran her hand back down and then up again making sure to run her thumb across the tip. It had to be the most sensitive part, right? It was oozing out what she realised must be the pre-cum.

“Don't stop.”

She watched him as she increased her speed. She wanted to be wherever he was right now. Eyes shut tight, and nails raking in to the crate they were on top of. His breath was quickening and his moans were becoming more frequent, pairing with his commands to 'keep going'.

Butch was twitching beneath her hand. He must be close. Watching her hand move up and down in a now practised rhythm, she felt – well she didn't know what she felt.

Regret, maybe? Shame?

It felt like she had taken advantage, and everything was moving too fast.

Everything she wanted she ended up changing to contradict herself.

Butch let out a strangled noise and then her hand was coated with whitish liquid.

Viola finally had all of him, and it had created quite a mess.

“I can't believe it,” she couldn't either, “that was – amazing!”

Butch was happy. If he was happy then she was happy too, right?

Viola knew that she wanted this to happen eventually, did it matter that it was this quickly? He had an incredulous look on his face, and when she leaned over to kiss him he looked so peaceful – so happy.

She had wanted she wanted – who she wanted. So why did she feel so empty?

_Because I'm trapped in a metal box underground with no escape and no freedom._

If they had to live like this for the good of the Vault, then her mandatory happiness would be fuelled by her choices.

 

At least until she found a way to open that door.

 


	5. For What It's Worth

It had been an hour already. The constant twang of scrap hitting metal was the soundtrack to the state of mind Viola was in.

That moment was all she could think about. It brought confusion, guilt and fear all in one.

She had wanted to do it – but she wasn't convinced it was for the right reasons.

She had him – now she didn't want to lose him.

It was pathetic, this wasn't her at all, but seeing the happiness reach his eyes for the first time since forever had her not just falling – it had her plummeting further down the rabbit hole and wanting more and more.

'Why are you so amazing?' Butch had said to her when he had come down from his high. It was strange to here something like that from his mouth. He was a different person when he was with her now – the other Butch was a complete stranger.

Viola hoped she had the real one, she really did.

“Hey, Vi,” she had been in her head for so long she hadn't even realised he was starting to pack everything away, “I think I'm done for today.”

Getting up from her spot on the floor she ran over to help him disassemble the targets.

“You really are my best damn gal – you know that right?” nearly dropping the piece of scrap in her hand she hid her blushing face from his view.

“You ain't getting shy on me after what happened, are you Nosebleed?” Butch gently placed his fingers to her chin and turned her to face him, “don't think I've seen you this red before.”

Viola chewed at her lip, eyes to the floor, “I'm not sure that I understand everything going on in my head right now.”

His hand dropped from her face, “what's that supposed to mean?”

“Not what you're thinking, I -” what exactly was it she was trying to say?

Butch sighed and pulled out his smokes from his pocket, she watched him light one and pull up the collar of his jacket, “you're the one who pushed all of this, Girlie. Why put hands on me if you don't want it?”

“That's not it, I wanted it to much – I think?” he looked more confused than before, “I – I want you so much, but I'm scared I'll lose you, so I took advantage.”

“That it?” he wasn't looking at her, head turned to the side, blowing smoke so she couldn't read his face.

“I just want to make you happy.”

“I am happy, but not right now because this,” he waved his hand at her, ash falling from the cigarette, “this ain't you, Vi. This ain't the Siren I know and – like.”

“Butch-”

“No. Listen, you wanna go fast, we'll go fast and if you wanna go slow, then I'm okay with that too,” he stubbed out the butt onto the metal crate and put his hands on her shoulders, “don't give me no half-assed shit, Vi, cause I know that ain't you – we're too the same.”

Looking up into those baby blue eyes, she couldn't help but smile.

“Any speed you want, I said we'd give it a try, and seen as you're the only decent gal in this Vault you got all my attention,” he cleared his throat, “I want m – our – first time to be special. You ain't some closet after class fuck, you know.”

Viola's smirk was back and suddenly he felt like the insecure one, “if your Snakes could see you now, being all sweet and semi-romantic”

“Yeah well, like I said, let's keep this between us for now,” he embraced her, wrapping her inside his jacket and arms around her, “for what it's worth, Vi, even if I had somewhere to go – I ain't going anywhere.”

The smell of him and his jacket combined with the feel of his heat and muscles she could feel through his shirt was all she needed in that moment.

It would be enough – for now.

 

 

His birthday had passed like any other regular day. He didn't really expect anything different. His Mom had forgotten, as usual, and he didn't even bother to remind her. If he didn't care, then why would she?

His day had been spent with the rest of the Snakes as usual, gifts of a pack of smokes from Wally, some cologne that Paul had found in the secret storeroom and a card from Susie, that had gone straight in the trash, was all he had to show for it.

Nothing from her, _gave me enough last night, I guess?_

Viola had been in the clinic most of the day today, her last check-up and finally getting all her bandages off. He wouldn't have to treat her like glass any more.

He'd been wanting to see her all day – just a glimpse would do. When he'd shown up at the clinic after dinner the only people there were the Doc' and Jonas working on whatever pet project was taking up all of their life right now.

She wasn't in the cafeteria, the gym, their new hideout, her house or even the atrium.

She was in the pool.

_First place I shoulda fuckin' looked._

The first thing he noticed was how dark it was, it almost made him turn back until he realised the pool lights were on.

He heard movement in the water and saw her head pop up at the side of the pool. His footsteps must have startled her.

“Oh, it's you.”

“What the fuck are you doin' in there so early after getting your wraps off?” he tugged off his jacket and placed it beside him as he sat down on a nearby bench.

“The water helps my recovery,” she pushed off from the side and lazily floated backwards into a slow backstroke.

Viola always looked good in the water and not just because she was hardly wearing anything. He loved the way she always just looked so at home there – so tranquil.

“Come join me,” dumbest thing he had ever heard.

“I don't do swimming.”

“Don't do or wont do, I know you're not as good as me, but I've seen you at least doggy paddle, Butch.”

“I ain't getting' my hair wet.”

“Oh come on, seriously?” she stopped and swam back over to the side, “you want to spend the rest of your birthday talking to your girlfriend from a bench?”

Butch had a list of things he'd rather be doing with her right now, but seen as he promised they'd wait this would have to do.

“I'll split the difference and sit on the side then if that's what you want?” he pulled apart his laces and began pulling his boots off when he heard her laugh.

“What is it with you Tunnel Snakes and water? You wont melt, you know?”

“Just don't deal with it,” he threw his socks with his jacket and pushed the bottoms of his Vault suit up to his knees before walking over to her.

“Wait, grab that foam thing on your way,” a stack of foam tube things was sitting next to where the benches ended. After all these years he still had no clue if they had an actual use.

Grabbing the purple one on top he walked over to her. She was swimming in circles when he approached and gave him a look when he crouched at the edge holding it out to her.

“I can't believe how dumb you are, Deloria.”

“What the fuck are you talk-”

Butch didn't have a chance to finish his sentence as she grabbed the end of the tube and pulled him in with a huge splash that sent chlorine stinking water flying everywhere.

Out of his peripheral he saw the purple foam thing floating somewhere behind the stupidly grinning Viola the moment he surfaced gasping for air. He felt like he was drowning until he realised she was stood straight in the water holding her sides and laughing.

He was pissed and panicking in the shallow end of all places. He was soaked through and he stunk of fucking chlorine already.

Butch didn't get a chance to shout, he didn't get a chance at anything. The anger seized the moment her lips touched his and her body pressed up against his, turning them so that her back was against the pool wall.

He pulled back to look at her, and her dreamy gaze. He pulled her closer and her legs up and around his waist. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and moaned at the taste of her – that familiar taste of a vanilla milkshake.

His hands explored every inch he could manage in that position and his mouth tasted every inch in reach, spurned on by her gasps of pleasure.

He failed to keep his excitement down and her moan when she felt it herself had him reaching for his sanity.

“Butch?” Viola sounded out of breath now, “Happy Birthday.”

Butch couldn't help but let out a laugh as the words left her mouth, she had a dreamy smile to match her eyes, and in that moment he didn't want to lose the butterflies he had somehow swallowed.

Lowering her legs back to the floor he pressed his forehead against hers and returned her smile.

“Means a lot, Vi.”

 

_Best birthday ever._

 


	6. Dirty Little Secret

Viola had made Butch wait outside by the pool after they had finished, no matter how hard he had tried to explain to her he just wanted to join her to check over her injuries – she just wasn't buying it. So he decided to take a shower himself and – well – take care of himself.

It was getting harder to keep his hands to himself, and he knew Viola was aching for it too. He was sixteen now and his hand just wasn't good enough to keep doing it for himself any more. Five more days until July 13th and Viola would be sixteen too, it had to be a great time for a horizontal celebration, right? _If we can wait that long_

Butch was scared, as he knew he would be, when the time finally came to it – after everything they've been through – everything was going to change. He didn't want to keep her a dirty little secret any more. As fun as sneaking around was, he kind of respected her too much for that now. He knew her better, and saw her differently. She wasn't 'Nosebleed' any more – she was his best damn girl and he wanted everyone to know. He didn't want anyone looking at her like 'that' any more. She was owned and she was his and the Butch-man didn't share.

_Tomorrow after class we're gonna get lunch together and make sure every fuckin' guy in the Vault know who's her man._

Butch turned off the shower and grabbed one of the towels he had gotten out of the storeroom and wiped his face.

He was becoming possessive and he wasn't entirely sure that Viola was going to like that. He had no reason to be, he knew that she only had eyes for him – she'd made that abundantly clear – he just didn't like the Freak or that fucking Chip looking all the time.

“Butch? Are you done?” he heard her knock on the door to the changing room before asking, he quickly wrapped the towel around his waist and walked out of the shower block.

“Yeah, come in. I'm decent.”

He sat down on the bench and pulled the other towel he's left there onto his head, ruffling the water from his hair. He could hear her open the door and her footsteps follow and then stop.

“Maybe I should have had a cold shower.”

Butch turned his head to where she was standing – looking like she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do. He left the towel on his head and lazily rested his arms so his hands dangled between his legs “what?”

Viola was hugging her towel and seemed to be chewing at her lip, “you're all drippy.”

Butch let out a laugh, “drippy? That it?”

She frowned and pursed her lips in that cute way she did when she was moody, “drippy and seducing me. Stop it.”

Butch threw the towel from his head and moved from the bench toward her, “what? You never seen a body this good before?”

“Please don't make me hurt you on your birthday,” she was trying so hard to avoid looking anywhere below the neck area and he found it hilarious.

“Thought you liked it when I seduced you?” he could see her hands tighten on the towel in front of her as he walked closer to her. She was backing herself into the lockers behind her.

“I do, but not now.”

“Why not? You tellin' me you don't like what you're seein'?”

“ _Butch_.”

He heard the quite slam as she reached the end of the line. He saw the annoyance in her eyes as she realised she had trapped herself.

Butch centred her in between his arms as he slammed his hands onto the lockers, “you have no idea how sexy you look when you pout like that.”

The husk as he lowered his voice had her turning red and gulping hard. He was enjoying being on the opposite side of the teasing way too much.

“Do you have any idea what seein' you in that swimsuit does to me?”

Butch nuzzled his nose against hers and he felt her leaning into him. She'd dropped her towel and had now placed her hands on his chest. Looking down at Viola he could see her eyes were now half-lidded like she was in a trance.

He smiled to himself at his mission accomplished.

Butch kissed her gently, moulding their lips together painfully slow. He wanted to draw it out - have her begging, but when she pushed him back so that his legs hit the bench and she practically jumped on top of him, he realised how stupid that idea was.

His nails dug into her thighs as her legs settled either side of him. She was kissing him like her life depended on it and he sure as hell wasn't complaining. His excitement was showing already and Butch was pretty sure she could feel it through his towel.

“I don't want our first time to be in here,” he hummed against her neck as he laved it with his tongue, nipping and sucking.

Viola's hand ran down his chest to his waist where the towel was tied and pulled it apart.

Butch pulled back, “I thought you just said - “

Her hand smoothed over his shaft, eliciting a moan from his mouth, “you deserve a really good birthday.”

“Vi.”

He wanted to tell her that it had been the best birthday he'd had already, but when she ran her thumb around the tip and slid herself from his lap and onto the floor in front of him, the words just wouldn't process.

Viola's hand on his cock and her on her knees looking up at him sent his head spinning. He had to be dreaming.

She was winging it, that much was obvious to him. Her hand ran up and down the length of him, before her tongue followed and ran a slow circle around the tip.

He felt like coming already, and dug his nails into his thigh hard to calm himself down a little.

Her mouth swallowed him whole as his right hand slid into her hair, he heard her make a little noise in the back of her throat. She'd gagged as she had taken too much at once, but it turned him on even more. She recovered quickly and set a pace as her mouth and hand moved together so that he was seeing stars.

Her teeth were lightly grazing him as she sucked and he could feel him slipping closer to the edge, he wanted this to go on forever, but no way was he going to last much longer.

Viola's free hand went between his legs to cup his balls, as he moaned her name as she gently palmed them. Butch's hand in her hair tightened as he felt the warmth spreading and Viola took his strangled moan as a sign to give one last lick and move off as he came hard.

Butch fell back fully onto the bench as his his senses slowly returned to him. He turned his head as what he thought was a door closing, but realised it must have been Viola getting up to retrieve her towel to mop up the mess.

It was amazing, his birthday was amazing, she was amazing and tomorrow everyone was going to know.

“You're going to catch a chill if you keep laying there like that,” he stopped her hand as she went to wipe his mess from his stomach and motioned towards the showers, “congrats to me, I've at last render you speechless.”

Viola was laughing and it sounded like music in the moment. Pulling himself up he cupped her chin and softly planted a kiss on her lips.

“Can't believe you make me this happy.”

Viola smiled up at him, he must still have looked dazed as she seemed to be trying hard to suppress a laugh, “I think you need another shower.”

He looked down at himself, “yeah, probably.”

“It's getting late.”

“Yeah,” he didn't want her to leave. He didn't want to go back home and have everything ruined.

“Go clean up, and I'll see you tomorrow?”

Viola handed him the towel with a sad smile. He made sure his hand brushed against hers for one last touch to get him through the night.

“Hey, Vi?” he watched her hair fly as she spun on her heel to face him, “do you wanna eat with me tomorrow after class?”

 


	7. Riding High on Depression

It was hard to watch – no – painful. He loved her, was _in_ love with her and she had been snatched away by the worst possible scenario he could have imagined.

He wanted to surprise her, show her he was making progress, doing what she did to help her cope in this prison. She surprised him instead as he opened the door into a nightmare.

It was horrible, disgusting, it made his stomach sink every time – so why couldn't he get the image out of his mind?

He wanted it to be him so badly it hurt.

Where along the line did he miss his chance? She teased him all the time, the way she looked at him and smiled – where did it go wrong? They had spent all afternoon together in the library just last week - their special place to get away from everything. She had caught him staring and just smiled at his embarrassment.

She liked him, didn't she?

Nothing made sense. Those two doing _things_ together. They hated each other, they couldn't stand to be in the same room sometimes. What was happening?

She'd walked out of the corridor smiling to herself, lost in what ever was going through her head. She hadn't even noticed him sat on the floor opposite the door.

He watched her figure as she got smaller and smaller before turning in the direction of home. He thought only he could make her smile like that.

_Apparently not._

That bastard was still in there, probably smiling too. He couldn't believe how jealous he was.

He couldn't believe he used to idolise him – probably still did, because now he had even more of what he wanted.

 

The Serpent King had the Siren and the Freak was left with nothing, but despair.

 

 

It was funny how staring at the back of someone's head had put him in such a good mood. Everyone had noticed and he really didn't give a fuck.

Watching his Viola walking down the corridor this morning, his little mermaid, looking as gorgeous as ever had put the stupidest look on his face. Wally gave him an earful when he realised what he was staring at, something about 'exploding hearts' or some shit, but nothing was going to ruin today.

Brotch's face when he actually handed in a completed test at the end of first period was a mental image to save – the sarcasm that accompanied it was debatable.

Viola had been taunting him all day, flipping her hair, stretching in a way that was doing nothing but making sure emphasis was on some of his favourite places and making sure her hand brushed over his longer than it should have when passing papers back.

He loved every minute of it.

When the time for his plan at lunch came however he was left waiting as the Freak had grabbed her after class for something, she threw him a five for him to wait, but it had been double that and he was getting majorly pissed.

He'd ordered two vanilla shakes and he was seriously considering drinking hers just to spite her for going off with Freddie when they had made plans and leaving him to fend of Susie who thought she was majorly cute thinking the second one was for her. _So fuckin' annoying._

Viola waltzed in fifteen minutes late, he felt like blowing off at her – until he saw the look on her face. She slid into the booth opposite him and he pushed the shake her way.

“Freddie saw us last night,” he felt himself go cold as he watched her suck up half of the shake in a few seconds.

“What the fuck do you mean he saw us?” Viola was chewing at her lip, “how much did he see?”

“He saw everything from me blowing you to you blowing your load.”

“Coulda put that any nicer?” she shrugged and began playing with her straw in between sips, “what's he gonna do?”

“Nothing, at least I don't think so. Freddie's not the type,” she was looking him in the eyes now and he felt his worry slipping away despite it hanging heavy over her, “he's in love me, so it broke his heart.”

“I don't care.”

“What?” Butch got up from his seat and slid in beside her, “what are you doing, people can see this, you know.”

“Fuck them and fuck Freddie,” Butch had her cornered against the wall, unless she felt like making a break for it underneath the table, she was exactly where he had planned it, “I don't fuckin' like secrets any more.”

He could feel Susie and Christine's eyes on him as he crushed his lips onto Viola's protesting mouth. He could hear the whispers of his classmates and someone cheering in the noise that he was slowly blacking out as she kissed him back.

Butch didn't care how heart-broken Freddie was, or how guilty Viola felt about it. She was his and that was all that mattered.

He was the Serpent King and she was his Queen and now the whole Vault would know by the end of the day.

The rumour mill was going to blow, but they could handle whatever came there way, the way she was looking at him now made him believe that.

“Susie just ran out.”

“Fuck Susie, and fuck Freddie too.”

Viola let out a laugh and pushed him back upright in his seat, “oh yeah? what are you going to do when my Dad hears about all this?”

_Shit_

Out of everyone he took into consideration he completely forgot about the one who was going to probably freak out the most over this news.

“You're going to have to be a really good boy now, Butch-man if you want any future visits with my Dad not having you wind up in the incinerator.”

His plan had worked, but somehow he had still majorly fucked himself over. He leaned back into the seat and ran a hand through his hair.

“Today's going to be a really long fuckin' day, isn't it?”

 


End file.
